COVID-19: Here’s what you need to know today
KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 68.8 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed worldwide, with over 1.5 million people across 196 countries and territories having died and over 43.8 million having recovered from the virus. As authorities warn of a spike in infections due to travel over the Christmas season, many countries are reimposing restrictions on movement and social gathering. Meanwhile, some countries are moving to inoculate citizens with recently developed vaccines.
— Jamaica recorded 74 new cases of the virus and four additional virus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 11,443 and the death toll to 270.
— A cyberattack targeting coronavirus data at the EU’s medicines watchdog lasted two weeks but will not affect the timeline for approval of the jabs, the head of the regulator said today.
— More than 45,000 people died of COVID-19 in Spain between March and May, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said today, giving a figure that exceeds the official toll by 18,000.
— The US yesterday registered more than 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally — the highest daily toll since April.
— South Africa, the country most affected by the coronavirus on the continent, has entered a second wave of the pandemic, the health minister declared yesterday.
— Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and his top generals will be vaccinated for COVID-19 by next week after the expected approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Pentagon officials said yesterday.
— The United States has so far recorded 289,450 deaths, making it the hardest-hit country. Meanwhile, Brazil has recorded 178,995 deaths, India 141,772, Mexico 111,655, and the United Kingdom 62,566.
Read the full stories here:
Four more die from COVID-19, 74 new cases
Cyberattack ‘won’t affect vaccine delivery timeline’ – EMA
Spain virus deaths top 45,000 in March-May – statistics institute
US COVID deaths exceed 3,000 in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins
South Africa now experiencing COVID-19 ‘second wave’ – health minister
